Yosemite ranked among best national parks in US. What other California spots made the list?
Love the great outdoors? In California, you can take a hike at some of the top national parks in the country.
Travel + Leisure recently ranked the 25 best national parks of 2024, and three California spots made the list.
The travel magazine picked the parks with the help of readers.
“The best national parks in the United States set themselves apart with tantalizing natural attractions and once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” Travel + Leisure said.
Which California national parks are among best in US?
Yosemite was No. 3 on Travel + Leisure’s list of the best national parks in the United States, trailing behind Yellowstone National Park in first place and Grand Teton National Park in second place.
Located in the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite is known for its waterfalls, grand meadows and giant sequoias, according to the National Park Service.
Redwood National Park, a Northern California spot that’s home to the tallest trees on earth, was No. 15 on Travel + Leisure’s list.
Sequoia National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada landed at No. 16.
Which are the top 10 national parks?
According to Travel + Leisure, the top 10 national parks are:
- Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana
- Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming
- Yosemite National Park
- Glacier National Park in Montana
- Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska
- Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
- Zion National Park in Utah
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee
- Katmai National Park in Alaska
- Denali National Park in Alaska
How did Travel + Leisure come up with its rankings?
As part of its annual World’s Best Awards survey, Travel + Leisure asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — including the top hotels,cruise ships and spas.
Nearly 165,000 readers completed the 2023 survey, the publication said, casting a total of more than 685,000 votes across more than 8,500 unique properties.
Readers rated national parks based on six key factors:
- Natural attractions
- Activities
- Lodging
- Wildlife
- Accessibility
- Cleanliness and accessibility
“For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor,” Travel + Leisure said. “The final scores are averages of these responses.”
This story was originally published July 12, 2024 at 11:03 AM with the headline "Yosemite ranked among best national parks in US. What other California spots made the list?."